We Few, We Happy Few: Attack on Titan Oneshots
by John Mccallistair
Summary: A collection of Attack on Titan One-shots and mini-arcs to explore all of my ideas about the characters of Attack on Titan which the anime has left up to the imagination. Enjoy. Disclaimer: All properties belong to their respective owners, I am just a fan. Chapter 5: Eren and his father bring Mikasa back to Shinganshina after the events in the cabin.
1. A Bedside Confession

**A Bedside Confession**

 **Summary: After the battle of Stohess District, Mikasa and Armin watch over a resting Eren. Armin confronts Mikasa over the feelings she has for her adoptive brother, and finds there is more to their relationship than he had first realized.  
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 **Rating: K+**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Mc.**

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The floorboards creaked as Armin Arlert walked up towards the window, enjoying the scent of fresh flowers which the breeze caught as it entered the room. While outside, the air had been thick with the scent of smashed mortar and an uncomfortable amount of blood, in this room, all temporarily seemed right with the world. The bright orange of the setting sun illuminated his face with a gentle warmth, indicative that summer was coming on at a fair pace. After the long and frantic afternoon where he had once again managed to cheat death despite the world falling into chaos, the relative quiet which dusk offered was a welcome relief.

Behind him, tending to a man who seemed to grow more remarkable by the day, a woman with black hair and a unique complexion sat idle. Her hands clasped around one of those belonging to Eren, keeping track of his pulse. She was his sentinel, a guardian with a selfless dedication which Armin admired.

In the silence, punctuated only by the breeze and their collective breathing, Armin was tossing the events of the day back and forth in his mind. He could see a few plumes of smoke from small fires which were still smoldering in the city which, if he was being honest with himself, he had helped destroy today. He knew it was risky to try and capture Annie in a crowded area such as this, but it was still the best plan they had going for them. And in the end, it had worked. There was no doubt the civilian casualties numbered in the hundreds, and the Survey Corps had lost more good men which it couldn't easily replace, but at least Annie was, in some form, captured.

He peered back to Eren, who had been so instrumental in the operation, even if his delay in transforming had cost plenty of lives. He slept soundly, the marks which appeared after his transformations had faded away. His body no doubt needed to recover after the beating he had received in the struggle.

Armin knew the last few days had been trying on Eren, having a second squad destroyed by a titan who had in fact been one of their comrades had to be eating him up inside. Eren always had a tendency to find himself in bad situations, often of his own volition. It was fine enough when they were kids dealing with nothing worse than bullies, but with stakes as high as they were now, Armin knew that such failures were weighing heavily on his friend's conscious. Still, Eren was not the kind to shirk his duty when faced with hardship, he'd proven that time and again since Trost.

Then there was Mikasa, who had been through her own emotional wringer these last few weeks. If Eren had one bad quality which annoyed Armin above all else, it was how oblivious he was to the damage his recklessness did to his adopted sister. Breaking the news to her on that first day of combat had been difficult enough for Armin, and he was content to never actually see how Mikasa would react to such a reality.

"Any changes?" He asked quietly, not wanting to break the harmony of space and time he found himself in.

"His pulse is still steady. Has been for the last ten minutes." Armin could feel the fatigue in her voice, the way it fell flat and disinterested. It was a tone she rarely used when referring to Eren, conscious or otherwise.

"Well that's good…probably means he's enjoying some deep sleep." Armin turned away from the window, leaning back against the sill. "I can't help but envy him right now, you too, I bet." Mikasa remained silent, keeping a watchful eye on Eren's face, attuned to the slightest movement.

"Look…" He stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We've all had a long day. You should probably get some rest while you can. You know we're going to be dealing with a whole lot of crap from the higher-ups soon, best not to face a tribunal without-"

"I'll stay here." Her tone was nearly terse, as though the very thought of Armin's suggestion was some grave insult.

"Mikasa…" Armin placed his other hand on the shoulder, giving what strength he could to his grip without seeming too forceful. "He'll be fine. Please, if he can rest after a fight like that, then so can you."

She declined to respond verbally and merely shook her head, facing away from her Armin while keeping her gaze fixed on her sleeping brother.

"Mikasa…" He moved his right hand onto her own, still wrapped around Eren's as though a cage. "I know you've been through a lot these last few days, but you know it's alright to take a moment to relax, right? What you're feeling right now-that pulse-that means he's alive. That he's here, and that he's alright. You don't have to-"

"And that's exactly why I'll stay, Armin. Go rest if you need to, I'll be fine. Besides, best not to face a-"

"Mikasa." He put some force into his voice, growing frustrated at her obstinacy. "I get it. He's here now, and you want to be with him. But look at yourself. Those bags under your eyes are as black as your hair…how much have you slept these last few days anyway? Actually…come to think of it, have I seen-have you eaten much of anything recently?" She remained quiet, slowly moving her eyes away from Armin's gaze. "Mikasa…I don't think I'm breaking any new ground when I say that Eren wouldn't want you to be like this. You don't want the first thing he sees when he wakes up to be an exhausted, emaciated sister who…you haven't bathed in a few days either have you?"

Faster than she had withdrawn, Mikasa turned back to her friend with a frustrated glare. Armin withdrew his hand and moved back to the windowsill, the scent of the fresh flowers gave him something more refreshing to smell as he turned his back on the setting sun. "You know I'm right."

She remained quiet for a moment before responding, the neutral tone of earlier had finally dissipated. "And so what if you are? Is it so wrong to want to be with him? To be at his side?"

"When it's at the point you're ignoring your own wellbeing just to spend a few minutes with him, then I'd say yes. I know-I know it's a lot, watching someone you love being so close to the brink of death all the time. I mean-well I saw it firsthand, so I know. But if you…Mikasa?"

He noticed how her hands had retracted from Eren's own and come up to cover her face. Her body seemed to tense up, fingers pressing firmly against her forehead. Armin wracked his brain, trying to think of what he had said to cause such a reaction, but was left with only questions.

"Mikasa…" He approached again, sitting down on the bench next to her and, with some hesitation at first, placing his arm around her shoulder. She removed her hands from her face, cheeks reddened, eyes clearly moistened, and lip barely held from quivering without control. "I-he has to- _why?_ Why does he always have to go and do this?"

"Easy, Mikasa…calm down. It's alright" He had never seen her this way before. For a moment he feared that this was the beginning of some demonstration of her fear of losing Eren, yet as he took a better look at her, he found that this was something altogether different. He was not looking at fear, at least not one of loss. He drew her closer in, as he had done with Eren on a few occasions when memories of Shinganshina grew to be more than he could handle. She remained silent for a while, composing herself.

"Why does he-why does he have to go and do these things…nearly get himself killed all the time? Doesn't he-doesn't he know how-how much I-" She stopped, her tongue dancing around a particular word.

"Oh-wait, is that what this is about?" He spoke softly, having never directly broached the topic with her before, and cautious of how to approach a topic in which he had little experience.

"Mmh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I-well I mean not to brag but…they don't say I've got brains for nothing. If I could figure out Annie for a titan then…well in all fairness the signs of…well, you and Eren eh-uh-well more so you and…it's not like it isn't obvious is what I'm saying."

"…Obvious?" She looked up to him, face showing a growing tension of concern.

"Yeah well…I mean it isn't like people haven't noticed, not like I haven't noticed of course. You know… _this_. This absurdly defensive posture you keep whenever Eren's around, especially when he's like as he is now. How you go out of your way to care for him, to the point you're looking worse than him at times. How it's hard for me or anyone else to ever get him alone because you're never more than a few feet away at any given time. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

She veered away from Armin's gaze, looking to Eren out of the corner of her eye."It's not-"

"You love him, Mikasa." He cut her off, tired of evasion and refusal. She remained quiet; a surge in the breeze cooled them both as blood surged in temperature. "Like I said, to most everyone it's pretty obvious…except yourself and…well, I hate to say it but Eren can be… _dense_ about certain things."

Armin could see a faint smile emerge on Mikasa's lips as her face began to loosen, the emotional stress upon it began to fade. "You've…well you are right about that but-but…I mean I don't…you love him too don't you? Is it-is it so strange to love a titan-man?"

"Of course I do…he's my oldest and best friend. And-well whatever he is, however he became like this, nothing's going to change that. But that's not what I'm talking about, Mikasa, and you know that."

"I-"

"Mikasa, you know one of these days you're going to have to talk with him about this."

"Armin-"

"Because to be quite frank about the way things are going, odds are one of you is going to lose the other at some point before you say something. So you either live the rest of your life with having never told him, or you leave me alone to break it to him once you're gone. And honestly, I don't like either of those options."

"Armin…" Her voice grew more frustrated, cueing Armin to pull his arm away and fold his hands in his lap. Mikasa took several hard swallows, her eyes shut for a moment as the room fell into a brief silence.

"You love him like nobody else could, Mikasa…and I really think he loves you in much the same way. That's a love which I-well I can't say I know it well but-but whenever I see it, it makes me happy. The way you love him…it's not something we see often these days what with-well, you know. And it's not something which benefits anyone by being kept under wraps like this."

Mikasa let out a sigh in an ultimately vain effort to relieve stress. The setting sun was creeping down the walls, a beam of light passed by Armin's head and illuminated her forehead. "Yes. I know Armin. I know what you're talking about and I've thought it all before. Dozens-hundreds of times. It's just-just…how?" She looked up to Eren, chest rising and falling slowly in the unconscious rhythm of deep sleep. "How do I-how do you tell someone like Eren-after everything we've been through…it's as though after everything he's done for me it-it would just seem inadequate. Just…so inadequate."

"W-what? Inadequate? I-" Armin found himself struggling to comprehend such an idea as Mikasa reached a hand back towards Eren's.

"I know it sounds strange, even I'd be inclined to agree with that. But it's…it's hard to put into words but-but Eren-to me he's-he-that day we met…that's not something that can be-that can be repaid Armin. Eren's done so much for me he-he gave my life hope and purpose after…" She trailed off, trying to organize a mind which had every unsettling memory of past and present, as well as the ugly possibilities of the future all trying to be recognized at once.

Armin lowered his head, feeling mildly anxious. One hot night in Shinganshina, a couple of months before the wall fell, he and Eren had walked around the neighborhood waiting for things to cool off enough to sleep. Running out of things to talk about, Armin had tried once again to learn more of how Mikasa had entered their lives; Eren had never said much other than her parents had died and they considered it the right thing to do. When Armin finally convinced his friend to speak, the explanation he got, light on details as it was, made Armin nauseous. Out of respect, he'd never broached the topic with Mikasa, Yet he'd always known an event such as that had to have had some great effect on her, even if he had never endeavored to imagine it too vividly.

"What good…what good is love to a person who's already given you everything you could ever want?" Mikasa began to run her scarf through her fingers. "Why upset everything by bringing up-by asking for something that's so inconsequential in the scheme of things." Her fingers ran over the fabric with a delicate reverence one usually reserved for holy relics or treasured family heirlooms.

"Because…" Armin started, looking to the bandages wrapped around Eren's head. "…determined as he is, we both know there's going to come a time when he's going to struggle immensely. When, to him, it's going to seem as though the entire world is falling apart. That there's nothing left to fight for."

Her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he body slowly relieved itself from the tenseness of earlier. "…you mean…"

"People fight best when they have something unbreakable to fight for, Mikasa. When he fights, he needs to know that you love him, more than anything else. Because I know that's something-this love is something which can never be broken. If he knows that then...well, that's one weapon the Titans will never see coming, I guess." Armin was happy to see a more solid smile develop on Mikasa's lips, her initially defensive posture opening up.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. It's just…finding a time to tell him. This isn't…this isn't a thing you just bring up."

Armin stood up from the bench, stretching his back and enjoying the warm sun on his skin. "I'm sure you'll find a good time, though I think we'd all prefer it done before he _really_ needs it."

"Ha…I'll try. Soon. I Promise."

"Good." Armin stepped back towards the window, brushing aside the thin curtains which felt like feathers through his fingers. The sun was taking its time to set, treating the city to a pleasant view to compensate for the destruction it had endured that day. "And besides…" He spoke softly, almost hoping she wouldn't hear him. "…I think you'll find he loves you more than he lets on sometimes. In fact…from what he tells me-and don't tell him I said this-I'd even say he loves you even more than you love him."

"Mmh?" She turned to him, her smile playful and eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Really? You-he talks to you about me? About what? What does he say?"

"I-uh…well…I mean…well we talk about things about…well things and-manly…you know what? I'm going to go see if Jean's here yet, he said he'd stop by soon enough." Armin walked for the door with an anxiousness he usually only felt around Titans. "You um-well why don't you tell him and ask-ask him yourself I'm sure…sure he'd love that." The floorboards continued to squeak with each step he took beyond the doorframe, accelerating towards the staircase at the end of the hall. "And I'm serious, get some sleep!"

Mikasa was left alone, her hair wafting in the breeze which began to carry the chill of the approaching night. Seeing Eren asleep, oblivious to the pains of the world as he took some well deserved rest, Mikasa resolved that she, too, would find some time to sleep soon enough. After she took his pulse one last time, just to be sure.


	2. Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

**Title: Sunshine on a Cloudy Day**

 **Rating: T for Language**

 **Summary: A virus sweeps through the 104th, leaving most cadets bedridden.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Mc.**

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"I feel…feel like my lungs are going to explode…or collapse, it's one or-one or the other." There was a low growl in Connie's voice which gave way to a wheeze as he desperately sucked in air. He fell back down on his bed, willingly succumbing to his own weakness.

"It might-might be pneumonia…often presents in-in severe cases of…" Armin stopped halfway through his sentence to engage in his own struggle with breathing, coughing for nearly a minute before he finally found the means to speak again. "…flu. Weakens the-weakens the immune-immune…" He couldn't complete the sentence, too delirious with fever to harness the full extent of his medical knowledge.

Having placed his pillow in a particular position, Eren had a perfect view out of his window to the world outside his barracks, not that there was much to see. Spring had arrived in full force, and that meant dull skies and endless rain. And endless rain meant plenty of time indoors. Plenty of time indoors meant close proximity between recruits. And close proximity meant both cabin fever as well as real fever. And real fever meant flu.

This was not the first disease to strike the 104th this year. Mild colds had confined many to their beds during the winter months, and Armin theorized it had weakened them to the current malady which had brought the entire camp to a standstill. Those who had not yet come down with the virus had been placed in segregated housing to try and spare them from the illness, while all those who suffered were cramped together in what limited space was available, the medical barracks having long been overrun with the amount of cases. Only those who needed the most urgent care were allowed in at this point, those tough enough to fight it out were mostly left to their own devices.

The downpour continued, the patter of rain against the roof created a droning noise which would have put Eren to sleep if his body wasn't in abject agony. That, and the hissing, wheezing, and moaning of his fellow cadets was a near endless chorus of misery which was hard to ignore.

His fever had broken for the time being, the second time that day. Eren felt he might be over the worst of this plague, but it still held him firmly in its grasp. He constantly fidgeted with his blanket, wrapping it tightly around himself when he felt cold, only to sweat profusely a few minutes later and kicking it off, which made him cold again. Fortunately, the cool weather kept the glass of his window cool, and he could rest his head against it to find some temporary relief.

"Man…what I-wouldn't mind training in weather like this meant if it meant I could just be better. Hate being sick." Connie's complaints had changed over the last several days from loud and angry to solemn and frustrated. Despite having a bunk quite close to Eren, neither had seen much of the other in days. The strength needed to get up and look around was reserved almost exclusively to use of a chamber pot. The only people Eren could attempt to converse with were Armin and Reiner across from him, and the presently sleeping Marco above him.

"If anything…would mean you'd just get sick more." Armin spoke up, his throat sounding exceptionally dry. His fever had been particularly intense the last two days, with only the rain providing a reliable source of water to keep him, as well as the rest of them properly hydrated. "Putting your body through a lot of-lot of exertion is always bad for it. You combine that with the effects of poor conditions and…"

"Armin?" Jean's voice croaked up, but was so bereft of volume it went unheard.

"…your ability to fight disease diminishes substantially. In fact, I don't think anyone came-came down with this until _after…_ after we spent that week in survival training…it rained quite a bit during that time as well."

" _Armin…_ "

After taking another moment to cough, Armin raised his cracking voice again. "In fact, I'm willing to bet that's what made us all so weak to this infection. We were all so content to-to stay inside, out of the rain once training was over that it wouldn't take long for an illness to spread fast…conditions were perfect for the rapid-"

"Armin!" Jean's voice finally rose above the young boy's wheezing analysis. "Shut. Up. The only thing worse than this flu is having to listen to you go on about-lecturing about where it came from and all that shit. How can a guy rest with all of this…this racket?

"Hey!" Eren raised his voice as loud as he could manage. "We're all in the same boat here Jean…knock it off. Just because you're miserable doesn't-doesn't give you the right to be a jackass…I thought that was very interesting, Armin."

"Thank-thank you Eren." Armin managed an almost inaudible sigh of gratitude, easily driven inwards at the sudden hostility."

"Pft…fine. Lecture away Armin. Guess I'll take it over Connie's bitching."

"Oy! Can't help it that I'm miserable here…looking at your face doesn't help." A growl emerged in the back of Connie's voice, though whether it was caused by anger or the build-up of phlegm could not be distinguished. "In fact think I'll..." He tried to pull himself from his bed, but could only swing a leg out from under a sheet before slumping back down into the mattress. "Alright maybe not today but-but when I get over there I'll…you'll see."

"Ah…piss off…scrawny little bastard." Jean fell into silence, his own exhaustion as evident as everyone else's. Eren would not complain about the barracks falling into silence again, it was a welcome break from the constant screaming they endured from the instructors on a daily basis.

On the window, certain drops of rain consumed others who had collided against the glass, slowly devouring as many as needed before finding the weight to plummet towards the sill. Eren watched one descend, then another, and another, and felt himself fade into a daze as he lost count. They all grew slowly at first, absorbing the smallest around them before accelerating downward with the increased weight. It was not long before nothing could stand against them as they absorbed all in their path. None seemed safe, any drop which escaped the first descending volley fell victim to the next.

Consumption and destruction were so delightful when confined to something so mundane, but much less entertaining when the entire cadet core was saturated in a malady which had already put several people on constant medical surveillance. The illness was consuming them all, tearing through the ranks like a methodical surgeon, cutting them down in a bout of sadistic ecstasy. Only those who isolated themselves stood a chance of surviving unscathed, hiding away from a foe they could neither see nor easily beat. If only there were walls against viruses.

Eren gradually lost track of how long he had been staring into the single, grey cloud which arced across every horizon, uniform and unbroken. He was finally disturbed from his daze when he heard a commotion to his right, and looked across the hall to see Reiner awkwardly sliding out of his bed without saying a word. His shirt began to fold at strange angles as he slid over the side like a rock falling in slow motion.

"Hey Reiner, what are you-Reiner!" The rock suddenly fell at full speed as Reiner's body plunged from the top bunk, creating a disheartening thump as it landed on the ground. Armin, who took the bed below the giant of a man, gave a startled yelp as a large arm pitifully clung to his mattress. No matter how much their bodies might have protested a spending of adrenaline, every nearby cadet suddenly sat up in bed or, if they were strong enough, stumbled their way out of it to check on their ill comrade. Eren slid off his mattress and flipped the giant onto his back as Armin reached a hand forward to take his pulse.

The fallen man's face was exceptionally pale, his cheeks and forehead gleaming with sweat. His eyes, though open, did not seem capable of focusing on anyone or anything. His breathing was shallow and high pitched, his inhales little more than a strained gasp with a ferocious cough acting as his exhale. "Reiner! Hey Reiner?!" The man could barely respond, his own hands clutching at his breast, deluded to think he could rip away the obstructions in his lungs.

"He can barely breathe…oh this isn't good. How long as he been-"

"Guard! Guard! We've got a situation" Bertholdt had leaped from his bed and began to pound on the front barracks door, locked from the outside in order to ensure no sick cadet risked infecting others. One of their only two openings to the outside world was opened, and a stern faced soldier, clearly fatigued from keeping watch in such dreary conditions, peered inside.

Eren looked to Armin, whom he knew could better elaborate upon whatever this was. Biology had never interested Eren much, whereas all manner of things which no man could see had always fascinated his friend. "Pneumonia…looks bad. He's not breathing well and his fever's pretty bad…I think-"

"But-but I don't…" Reiner's voice came as a loud rasp as his hand reached up towards the ceiling. Eren and Armin drew away as the larger man's expression became grim and flummoxed. "Why should I destroy-you want me to-to-"

"He's delirious! Armin? Is he hallucinating?"

"Uh…it looks it-his pupils are pretty-pretty dilated.

"Destroy-"

"We need a nurse! Now!" Bertholdt nearly screamed at the guard, who considered such aggression more a sign of panic than anything else, and let the outburst against a superior slide as he pulled down his face mask and blew a whistle into the rain. Bertholdt stumbled over to Reiner, grasping at bed railings to keep his balance as the rush of excitement took its toll upon his body. Eren crawled back onto his bed as Reiner's closer friend nearly fell on top of him, desperate to see to his comrade's aid. Eren envied their bond, they seemed inseparable.

"Reiner…Reiner can you hear me?" Bertholdt was met with only a blank stare from his friend's golden eyes. It was as though he was looking past Bertholdt to something else, a phantom on the ceiling from out of some delightful fantasy.

"Bertholdt…you heard him right…we have to-we have our orders-"

"Reiner!" The dazed face of the sick man received a harsh slap from his friend. Eren met Armin's gaze with confusion, the blond haired boy having since withdrawn from Reiner as the invalid started to cough severely.

"Reiner…you are a _soldier_. _Soldiers_ are strong. And you are strong. Reiner. Come on, snap out of it. We need you to get you better here, Reiner." There was an uneasy tremor in Bertholdt's voice, an air of concern focused more on the hallucination than the physical malady.

"Bertholdt…" Reiner raised a hand and clenched onto Bertholdt's face, finally shifting his focus onto his friend. "…soldiers…but we-we are warri-war-" Before he could finish, Reiner erupted into a fresh and particularly violent cough. His hand fell back over his face, trying to contain the sudden violence within his lungs.

"Make way!" The voice of the guard barreled down the barracks as two nurses with a stretcher swiftly marched down the hallway. Bertholdt pushed himself up and leaned back into Eren's double-decker bed; tall enough to face a recently roused Marco.

"He's hallucinating…the fever's really getting to him. He's…he's not in a good place...right now." Bertholdt's voice fell to a whisper as he found the nurses were more interested in his physical health than mad ramblings. After a succinct discussion of the man's condition and a checking of vitals, the nurses nodded to one another and then to the guard. Straining somewhat to accommodate his weight, they rolled him onto the stretcher and heaved as they lifted him up, making their way back to the door as a fresh, heavy wave of rain began to descend.

"But I don't-why would I…"Reiner's mumblings faded as he was carried into the rain, the guard closing the door behind him. Eren leaned over his bed to the window, where through sheets of rain he saw Reiner being carried in the direction of the infirmary.

"What happened? Is Reiner alright? Marco's voice drifted down softly from the bunk above Eren. He had been sounding better earlier today, and he sounded much the same now that he was roused from slumber.

"I just saw him fall out of bed, looked like he might have been asleep. Might have been having an hallucination in his sleep. He wasn't looking too good though."

"Not good when pneumonia hits on top of this-this flu." Armin cleared his throat enough for his normal voice to momentarily come through.

"Ah shit…you mean that's what-that's what I got?" Connie's voice rose up again from further down the hallway, a hoarse cough tailing onto the end of the fearful question.

"Mmh…maybe. Though if your body is strong enough, hopefully you don't end up as bad as Reiner…what was he even talking about? Bertholdt? Any ideas?"

"Um…probably just thinking about training. Maybe didn't understand where he was, thought he was already on the frontlines or something. Like Armin was talking about with the survival training, it was pretty rough on him."

"It was? Reiner? Really? Wouldn't peg him for someone who'd just break like that…weird." Eren laid back against his pillow, the droplets which slowly advanced down the window had become replaced with a torrent, a lightning campaign which discarded strategy and intrigue for brute force and domination. It was as though those oceans which Armin had always talked about were coming down on top of them.

"Well, when your body's under as much stress as his must be, there's less and less incentive to keep up a strong persona I guess." Armin's sigh was hardly audible as the reverberations of the rain against the roof grew into a deafening cacophony.

"Mmh…I guess so." Bertholdt began to walk back towards his bunk, legs shaking as his weak body struggled to sustain him. Eren closed his eyes, content to lose himself in the sound of the rain. Whatever was wrong with Reiner, Eren was sure he'd get the help he needed.

"Huh? Mikasa? Sasha? What are you doing here? Wouldn't the guard have-?" Eren opened his eyes as Bertholdt tried to interrogate the two figures who stormed into the barracks and closed the door behind them. Their cloaks may have obscured their figures and their faces were covered by masks, but Eren knew who they both were in an instant.

"Hi guys!" Sasha blurted out her greeting far louder than was necessary to overcome the sound of the rain. Mikasa's gloved hand came up to stop her, before pointing to a concealed bulge at Sasha's abdomen.

"Mikasa?! What are you-" Eren stopped himself as he saw Sasha open up her cloak to reveal several baskets of bread laid on top of one another, most of which looked fresh.

"Good afternoon everyone. Those of us who've been quarantined for our own health have been feeling bad about you all. So, we decided to pool our bread rations as a treat for you all, something to help keep your strength up while you fight the disease. We've been keeping lookout for an opportunity, and know we don't have much time until the guard returns, so we'll make this quick."

"Yeah, speaking of which, was that Reiner we saw them remove? Is he okay?" Sasha kept the baskets steady in one hand as she pulled down her hood and waved the water which had soaked through out of her hair.

Bertholdt spoke up quickly. "Uh-well Reiner…he fell out of bed, was having feverish hallucinations and talking nonsense. We think he's got pneumonia on top of the flu. Right Armin?"

"Well-I mean it's just an educated guess."

"Still a good one though…and it's so nice to see you two this is-well this a nice-" Bertholdt was silenced as a loaf of bread was shoved in his face while a second was placed in hand. Mikasa reached back into the basket for more, taking up several loaves in her arms.

"That one's for Reiner if he returns. Like I said, we don't have much time. Sasha, get distributing."

"Oh-uh-right! Here everyone! As fresh as-well as fresh as leftovers can be I guess!" Applause and words of praise rose up from across the barracks, to such a degree as the men could muster their enthusiasm when in the grips of such an illness. Sasha walked from person to person, awkwardly holding onto the baskets as she distributed loaves.

Mikasa did not take to distributing the rest, and took three loaves with her to Eren's bed. She gently tossed one to Marco up above, before extending the last two loaves to her closest friends. "Armin, how are you feeling?"

"Eh…not much better, but not worse at least. Still as bad as I've been the last two days."

"Get better then." She responded quickly and cut off any other avenue of conversation as she turned to her adoptive brother. "Eren, how about you? Are you drinking enough water? You know you should really open this window when you get the chance…once the rain stops and-you're getting enough rest right? If-if you're not comfortable I can look about getting some-"

"Yes. Yes Mikasa I know. I'm fine…still not totally well but I've been feeling better. Just a bit weak is-" He was interrupted by the final loaf of bread which he was yet to take being pushed into his chest, the force in Mikasa's arm felt as though it were being restrained with considerable difficulty.

"Then you need to eat. Keep your strength up or you might become the next Reiner. You need to get better. Eat."

"Mmh? Yeah, yeah I'll eat Mikasa. I can take care of myself, believe it or not." He took the bread from her hand and ripped a piece of the end, stuffing it into his mouth. "This isn't-this isn't like when…that time-"

"I know Eren, but I still need to make sure you get better. You don't want to get kicked out of here because of disease do you?"

"I-well no but-but that doesn't mean you have to be so nagging…I've been getting better on my own haven't I?"

"What's the matter Eren, you too good to appreciate some special treatment?" Though he could not see him, Eren felt a suddenly strong urge to scowl at Marco as his voice once more descended from the top bunk.

"Yeah Eren…as far as I'm concerned you're never too grown up to enjoy some coddling when you need it. Mmh…thank you for the bread Mikasa. _I_ appreciate it." Armin joined Marco's side, speaking in between bites of bread.

"Hey I'm not saying I don't! I just…ugh…" He faced away from Mikasa, looking out the window but seeing nothing but a continuation of the earlier torrent, as though a river in the sky had broken its dykes and was set to drown the world in its deluge. He could sense Armin sniggering out of his vision,the amusement lifting his spirits. "I'll be fine Mikasa, you really don't have to-I appreciate that you're concerned, but you don't have to worry about me. Maybe a few days ago…but I'm doing much better now. Really. Thank you though-thank you for the bread I-we all could use a little something extra." He looked back to her but kept his head down, a feeling of regret creeping up his throat.

"All well and good, but don't think I'll be convinced of that until they let you and everyone else outside at last." Between the face mask, the scarf wrapped tightly around her lower jaw, and the hood of the cloak, Eren found it difficult to adequately make out her expression. Her tone sounded stern, but he couldn't help but feel that if he could just see her face better, he would find a more nurturing expression. "So, the faster you get better, the less time you have to worry about me worrying. Which is-I shouldn't be worrying, because you're alright. You're sure of that? Not some brief lull before it gets worse?"

"Yes...I'm sure of it. Just need a few more days is all." He leaned back against the cool window, feeling his fever beginning to rally and prepare for another assault.

"All set!" Sasha's voice seemed to materialize out of nowhere, much like her body as Eren sensed her come up next to him. "Barely made it with all three baskets, I guess they're packing in more sick than are usually supposed to be quartered here."

"Yeah, though they haven't added anyone in a few days, so my bet is that the disease is begining to have run its course by now. At this point, I think it's just a matter of all us infected fighting it off…and disinfecting most of base of course." There was a new cheeriness in Armin's voice which Eren attributed to the food he was chewing with frightening speed. "I mean, there are cases like Reiner, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Yeah…speaking of which, you guys better get going soon unless you want the guards to know you're here. Isn't there some punishment for breaking the segregation?"

"Aw…what's the matter Eren? Worried if Mikasa stays around any longer they might have to quarantine her too? And here I thought you two always spent your time together?"Eren didn't need to see Sasha's face to know there was a playfully annoying smile on her face.

"Well…he does have a point. Besides you guys are risking getting infected-and don't get me wrong, we all appreciate this-I don't think the staff would appreciate anyone risking further contamination of the corps. You guys should really get going and-well I'd say wash what you're wearing but I think stepping outside will do that just fine."

"Armin's right Sasha." Mikasa pulled up the other girl's hood and took another look at Eren, who was avoiding her gaze by staring into the downpour beyond. "We shouldn't stay too long. We've done what we needed to do. Maybe we can try again in a few days if there's a chance, but we can't risk getting caught."

"Aw…but I-"

"No buts." A hand quickly pushed its way out from beneath her cloak and pointed towards the door. "Head to the door and keep lookout."

Though Eren couldn't well make out Sasha's expression, he found it strange how she paused a moment, and glared at Mikasa in a toying manner. He didn't know what it was about, but Sasha took her time walking away, her torso seeming to struggle to contain a laughter building up from within. "All right…don't take too long…" The last word was nearly sung, high in pitch and playful. Mikasa's eyes followed the girl with a noticeable frustration before turning back to the patient of particular importance.

"Now Eren, you're sure you don't need me to bring you something else? Any-perhaps any more pillows? Blankets? Something I can try and swipe from the food rations? Are you-"

"Mikasa…for the last time I'm doing fine here. They'll probably let me out and about in a couple of days anyways. Really, this whole gesture was nice enough; you don't need to go out of your way for me here. I'm much better, really."

"Well…yes but I'm just making sure that-"

"Look, why don't you ask _anyone_ else what they need? Most of them are in worse shape than I am. Why not check on Reiner while you're at it? I'm sure he could use the company if you're so willing to be around us invalids."

"I wouldn't mind something Mikasa…maybe something sweet? To drink? Always lifted my spirits when I was sick back home."

"Oh…yeah that sounds nice, maybe something a bit more filling for the stomach too…cheese perhaps? Would help keep me-keep my strength up."

Mikasa seemed taken off guard by Marco and Armin's requests as they materialized out of every direction. Her head began to slump down between her shoulders as she grumbled out "I'll see what I can do."

"See? Plenty of people worse off than me here…not that I don't appreciate-" The words were taken out of him when Mikasa moved closer and embraced him in a hug which would have suffocated weaker men. Her fingers grabbed latched into his back, seemingly intent to never let go.

"I'm sorry, just feel better, that's all I wa-I'm just looking out for you is all." Eren could barely make out what she was saying through the mask, but he was surprised to hear a noticeable tremor in her tone.

"I-I know. But really, you should get going. Don't want you to get caught…I'm looking out for you as well here." With a sigh, she pulled away slowly, her hands gently sliding over his body with every intent of not to let go.

"Armin, Marco I'll-I'll see what I can do about those things. It'll be difficult though, probably, what with the guards and all. We'll uh…hopefully this all passes over by the end of the week. If not before then, I'll see you all eventually. Eren feel-Eren and the rest of you, feel better." Her cloak clung tight to her body as she made for the door, Sasha awaiting her with a tapping foot, casually keeping an eye out for any movement coming from the infirmary.

As the door opened, they held their cloaks firm against their bodies as they pushed into the rain beyond. Eren was sure he had seen Mikasa waving back towards them, pulling down as her mask as if to mouth the words "I'll be back" to him. As they were sealed back in, as the rain was banished back to the outside, the barracks had come alive to a degree. The gift had inspired the rest of the men to talk once again, the sight of comrades-female ones no less-inspired thoughts ranging from noble appreciation to vulgar jokes.

Eren could feel his head growing light, even with the food in his stomach to provide him strength. The disease was launching another offensive, not an opponent to die easily. He leaned back against the window again as Armin and Marco struck up a conversation over how Sasha could have ever been so generous in giving food to other people. He could have sworn that somewhere, he saw those two figures in green cloaks running back to their own barracks. Even in weather as miserable as this, at a time of such frustration and bitterness, there were still those willing to risk themselves a terrible disease just to provide a modicum of comfort to others.

He could still feel the sensation of Mikasa's embrace, a nurturing concern which now clung to him like an invisible blanket. Grabbing his real sheets and pulling them up to his neck, he closed his eyes; He began to imagine what other indulgences they might be granted, what other gifts these angels might bestow on them. The rain dragged him away from consciousness, but he carried with him a glow of light which infected his dreams, not he paid much mind. At a time as gloomy as this one, it was a welcome ray of sunshine.


	3. Hot Blooded

**Hello Peoples,**

 **"Hot Blooded"**

 **Rated: T for Sexual Themes.**

 **Summary: During a day of rest and relaxation at the beach, Eren notices Mikasa in a way he never had before.**

 **Enjoy and let me know what you think.**

 **-Mc.**

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Sitting beneath a pine tree, his legs stretched out on the warm ground, Eren's eyes faded in and out of darkness. He'd been swimming all day, and while his body had enjoyed the casual exercise, he now felt exhausted and desired little more than a good night's rest. Night, however was still many hours away, and all he could do for now was doze in the mid-afternoon sun, entertaining casual conversations with an equally fatigued Armin.

The cadet corps was enjoying a beautiful day of rest with a swim in the nearby lake, fighting off the summer's heat with a dunk in the clean and refreshing waters. While many had gone back to camp by now to dry up and prepare for the evening, about a dozen remained, either still enjoying the waters or playing some games of horseshoes. It was a welcome break from the rigorous training which was quickly whipping these young boys and girls into soldiers. Youth was not something to be squandered in idleness when humanity stood upon the precipice of annihilation.

"So then that raises the possibility…maybe a bullet could act in the same way as that ball. That is, if you put spin on it, it could be fired more accurately, perhaps even further if you account for…"

Armin was going on about something involving ballistics, connecting his observations of a game of catch to their early forays into firearms training. Neither of them was particularly good at it, though Eren had managed to hit a bull's eye yesterday. He was proud of that, even if it was mostly dumb luck. It was hard to hit anything with a musket beyond a certain distance. He didn't see much point to learning how to use them anyways. It wasn't possible to kill a titan with them, so why bother?

"It's possible…"Eren muttered out, confident that Armin knew what he was talking about. Given his friend's extensive knowledge of all things, it was a safe bet.

The shadow of the tree which had given him shade was slowly receding as the sun changed position in the sky. His legs were feeling warm, but the heat was not unbearable just yet. He was not sweating much, and the sensation of nurturing light on his skin was relaxing, easing his muscles which had swam themselves tired all morning. He loathed the thought of getting up, of moving a single inch of his body. There was no morally justifiable reason for a moment like this to end; it would be a crime to interrupt such lazy bliss.

"Hey guys…" Mikasa's voice carried Eren away from falling into a complete daze and stopped Armin in the middle of elaborating on his new obsession. Eren lifted his head to see his adopted sister standing right above him, her head obscuring some of the sunlight.

"Mikasa! So you finally decided to come down?"

"Just for a while, Armin. It's the hottest point in the day after all." Her expression was carefree, she wore a smile proudly. Eren rarely saw her make faces like that these days. Usually she was quite stern, tedious drills in exhausting conditions were neither the time nor place for youthful, innocent charm. But today was different, a playfulness emanated from her face for the first time in a long while. Eren had missed this side of her.

She wore a white linen shirt which cut off closer to her knee than her waist, as conservative of swimwear as Eren would expect from his sister. Then again, plenty of guys had taken a dip wearing old shirts as well. Many of them were raised with modesty in mind; the looming crisis of humanity's survival was no reason to be uncivilized, after all.

"Oh, well go have fun then. Water's nice, pretty warm actually." Eren leaned his head back against the tree, trying to reach his neck to catch the sunlight which crowned around Mikasa's head.

"You're not going to join me?"

"Mmh? Nah, I'm spent. So is Armin. We've been here a lot longer than you, and…if you talk to Jean, he's going to tell you he won six out of ten races. But really, the eighth one was a tie. We're even. Tell her Armin."

The blonde could only roll his eyes and smile at Mikasa. "Sure…couldn't tell with a microscope. But yeah, you can count me out too Mikasa, sorry."

"Oh…oh well. If you need rest, then rest. I'm just here to ride out the heat anyways. I'll see you around." The light cast itself on Eren's face once more as Mikasa turned to walk away. She slid off her sandals while she walked, leaving them by a small stone on the beach. Eren kept his eyes focused on her as she approached the water, subtle waves washing up against the shore of coarse sand.

"So anyways, that then leads to the problem of putting spin on the bullet once it's already in the barrel…" Armin got back to his most recent infatuation. Eren's gaze finally tracked Mikasa down as she began to wade into the waves. Ymir and Christa greeted her as she stood a moment in the surf, the water barely rising to her knees. Eren couldn't make out what they were saying, though it seemed like Ymir was teasing his sister about something. If he didn't have overwhelming trust in Mikasa's ability to handle the situation, he would have contemplated getting up.

"…granted putting grooves into _every_ musket would take time and money…"

Ymir splashed some water Mikasa's way, landing a good blow on her shirt. They stared each other down in silence a moment before Mikasa's hand reached for the collar of her shirt, and with one single movement, her arms reached for the air, and the garment was removed, bundled up, and thrown to shore.

The off-white undergarments beneath were a far cry from conservative. Though the top was enough to adequately keep the breasts from view and the bottom was essentially a shorter version of the boy's underwear, the act of her exposure suddenly struck Eren in a way it never had before. His eyes fixed on her figure; everything else around her was becoming a blur. He felt his body warm, heat began to emanate off his skin.

Mikasa kicked her own wave of water towards Ymir as Christa ducked beneath the tide. Faster than first thought, the smaller girl grabbed Mikasa's other leg and pulled it out from under her, letting her crash into the water with a startled laugh. The three of them all erupted into laughter as they emerged from beneath the waves, all shaking their hair as water streamed down the locks.

Eren found that Ymir and Christa could not stay in focus for him, his eyes fixed on Mikasa with a particular intensity to the exclusion of all distractions. Armin's rant about ballistics faded into the background as Eren followed the outlines of her body, led on a winding road down the intimately familiar yet tantalizingly exotic.

She lifted her arms in the air to stretch her back. Eren followed the curvature of her spine down from the neck, pausing only a moment to appreciate the sheen of her moist hair, the water casting it in an even darker color than it usual. He followed the arc further down, transfixed on her skin which shimmered in the sun's reflection. How had he never noticed how fair her complexion was until now?

Her leg rose, she broke her stretch and moved into another kick, spraying both Ymir and Christa with a thin sheet skimmed off the water's surface. His gaze moved quickly, starting at her toes, and following the curvature of her leg, muscular yet lithe, concealing a strength which Eren knew lay beneath the beguiling exterior. In only a second of gazing, Eren felt an eternity pass within his mind as he followed the leg back towards its beginning, to the skin barely concealed by the wet cloth which now clung to her body. Between her back and her legs, flesh which had up till now been of little significance to anyone. And yet he couldn't look away, couldn't find a reason to avert his gaze as she turned fully away from him, wading slowly into the water, hips alluringly shifting back and forth.

"Wouldn't that be amazing?"

"Mmh?" He was shaken out of his trance a moment as Armin raised his voice for clarification.

"Spin the explosive shells; we could finally make them much more accurate, right?"

"Oh-uh I…uh-yeah. Sounds-sounds right I guess."

"Of course! And just think of what this could mean for…" As far as Eren was concerned, Armin's voice was a pleasant drone and nothing more now, something to keep in the background as he lingered on a new truth. A thought crept into his head, a fact which he'd known for a while now but had never dwelled on in any serious way.

Mikasa had a rather nice ass.

The moment the thought crossed his mind, was made ascendant in his consciousness, it suffered a ferocious backlash. Precious memories of his childhood launched a counteroffensive against the very notion, appalled at the blasphemy which had dared to assert itself. How could one consider the very notion, the insane idea? An insane idea based on a very true reality, stemming from a fact which became truer with each second Eren's gaze lingered.

She spun to face him, her abdomen compressing as she inhaled. Her arms outstretched, she laid back into the water. Eren quickly took a glance of her breasts as she fell into the blue. They weren't bad either, complemented her entire form very well in fact.

His memory once more screamed for a rebuttal, demanded vengeance for such an egregious act of contemplation. Thoughts of brutality and blood, of a cabin on a rainy day and a frightened little girl surged in his mind. There were a thousand other girls to fantasize about, why did these thoughts have to suddenly assert themselves when it came to the one girl who stood above that faceless crowd?

Then again, none of those thousand other girls were Mikasa, a girl who had entered his life during such a dark time, and who was there for him during his own bleakest moments. Though Armin was his oldest friend, she was by far his more intimate companion, a true sister, damned what blood might say. The two of them shared something special, a bond forged in crisis which became stronger with each successive calamity. Mikasa was more than a friend; she was the foundation of a better life, a rope in dark and murky waters which Eren clung to as the world crashed down around him. He had saved her from one life, and she was his support in this one.

And this support had a really, _really_ nice ass.

Where blood had at first pooled in his cheeks, warming him from the inside as his skin reddened, now he felt it pooling elsewhere as that inescapable reality bore down on him. As much as childhood, even with an innocence lost at an early age maintained that she was a sweet little girl, his charge to protect and now a comrade in arms, the progression of time was changing both this girl and the way Eren thought of her.

He bent his knees, pulling his legs up close while trying to adjust his pelvis as discreetly as possible. His toes began to feel cool as blood rushed to where it was more desirable. This was not the first time he'd felt this way nor the first time he'd had to hide something like this from people, but it was the first time he feared becoming overwhelmed by the sensation. His legs jolted slightly as he dwelled on Mikasa's figure, rising from the waves near shore and stretching again before diving back in, beginning to swim. His breathing grew deeper; his chest felt as though it were a cavern which no amount of air could fill.

This process of military formation, of taking the young and energetic and molding them into stern, disciplined soldiers was designed to erase personal distinctions, to render every person but a sliver of humanity's blade against the titans. But there were certain aspects of the person which could not be erased, as well as some traits which were only just now making themselves manifest. Those traits, the development of the body and a personality to accompany it, could only be hidden so much by uniforms and a regimented life. They were all still human, and even in times of hardship, one could never deny that the human body was a beautiful thing.

Eren's memory continued to conjure images of a younger Mikasa, a friend and protector on the streets of Shinganshina. Yet as cherished as those memories were, Eren had to admit that much like Shinganshina itself; they were only just a memory. Whoever he and Mikasa had been, that act of their lives had ended years ago. The same performers now wore different masks, playing novel roles in new, alluring costumes.

Eren closed his eyes, laying his head back against the tree. Blood flowed away from his mind; his defenses against the great blasphemy fell away. He could not call it wrong to appreciate the beauty of someone so entirely different than the sweet girl who was locked away in the safety of memory. This performer, an actress wearing a foreign yet familiar mask, was an intimate stranger, a new iteration of the same character for a different performance.

In the waters, an actress danced with the same fluidity of her environment, dancing in the tides. The beach became clear, quiet and devoid of all noise save the swelling of the waves. The dancer rose from the blue, walking across the sands as the moisture evaporated immediately from her cream-colored skin. Strands of black hair wafted gently in a silent breeze, bobbing with each step she took.

A boy, eager to call himself a young, but aspiring, man, rose from his seat and began to walk towards her. The heart raced, he could feel the blood frantically pumping through his body. The excitement grew indescribable as they faced each other, the girl smiling with eager expectations.

The boy raised his hand, middle finger gently sliding across her jaw. He felt her breath against his palm, as warm and inviting as her appearance. His hand slid back across her face, reaching to the nape of her neck. Her hair slipped through his fingers, as soft as the sand beneath their feet. He took another step forward, his leg brushing past her own as their faces drew near, the air between them growing warm. Neither dared to break the silence, to be in each other's presence was all the other needed.

An excitement grew for what might be ahead; thoughts of one performance alone crept into the actors' minds. A scene envisioned and acted out countless times before. Sometimes perfect, often just satisfactory, and occasionally disastrous. Yet the two actors, eager to experiment in this often lauded dance with one another, drew close, lips lightly touching. The young man's hand began to slide down her neck, down the arc of the spine, drawing her inward. Their bodies became pressed together, warm and desiring. The waves crashed lightly, lulling them deeper into a state of bliss. Hands reached deeper, his skin tingled with impatient desire.

"Hello?!" The sound of snapping fingers pierced the performance, a high pitched voice rang out from the sky.

The young man opened his eyes and peered towards Armin, who stared back with a frustrated look on his face. Eren kept his legs close together and sat up quickly, an embarrassed paranoia quickly setting in.

"Well? Am I right?"

"Um-I-uh…"

"Assuming you have more accurate cannons, a lighter caliber could be brought into the field, using explosive shells to immobilize titans on flat terrain so that we can close with the ODM gear…? Makes sense right?"

"Uh…I-" Eren looked towards the waves, where Mikasa was treading water, laughing with Ymir about something. There was an innocent joy to her face, an endearing playfulness reminiscent of a young girl on the streets of an abandoned city. Oblivious, carefree and at leisure, an actress out of costume.

"Have you even been listening to me?" There was an irritation in Armin's voice. Though Eren knew his friend was upset at him, a response was hard to come by. His performance had been interrupted before it had even begun; the actors had been thrown off the stage before having a chance to demonstrate their talent. He tried to think of any snippets his ears might have heard…something about shell weight and air direction?

"I…uh-well I-uh…not…no. No. Not really. Sorry."

"What? Why not? Have I just been talking to myself this entire time?"

"Um…" Eren could feel his body cooling down, the blood rushing back to his head as he tried to formulate a way out of further disrespecting his friend. "I…uh…I'm feeling pretty tired, Armin. Swimming took more out of me than I thought. Just…really tired is all." He grabbed his shirt and towel and stood up, subtly adjusting his pants as best he could as his mind began to focus on other things. "I'm going-I'll see you back at camp, alright? Going to-I'm going to catch some sleep. See you-see you around. "

Taking one more glance back at the water, Eren caught a final glimpse of Mikasa's smile, one feature which remained the same for each character no matter the actor playing the part. He waved to Armin as he left, keeping his head down as he started up the long trail leading back to camp. His thoughts lingered on Mikasa, the most recent iteration of an old friend with more to give than ever before. Not now, perhaps not ever, who knew how she felt. Eren wasn't entirely sure of himself either. But on another stage, at any time or place as was desired, there would be actors always ready to enact that special scene. Perhaps, eventually, that script would become reality, but for now Eren was content to mull on as many drafts as could be written.

Remaining at the beach, Armin Arlert began to ponder what was wrong with his friend. Eren was usually so attentive to these sorts of talks, especially when it involved killing titans. Perhaps it was exhaustion, although they had both swam about the same, and Eren was certainly the stronger of the two of them. Then again, Eren had never been one to enjoy the weather when it was this hot. Armin reasoned that the heat must have been getting to his friend; it wouldn't have been the first time.

The blonde looked out to the lake, where a few cadets were still swimming while most had by this point returned to shore. His mind continued to linger on ballistics and tactics, but even these subjects grew tiring after a while. It was too beautiful a day to dwell on such mundane things. Instead, he turned his attention towards another blonde, one who had been catching his eye all day.

She had a rather nice ass.


	4. The Walls Come Tumbling Down

**Hello Peoples.**

 **"The Walls Come Tumbling Down"**

 **Rating: K**

 **Summary: Hanji tries to confront Levi about the first failed attempt to capture the Female Titan**

 **Levi is a tough character to write, introspective wise. I hope I captured him well enough and that you enjoy this installment. Enjoy and let me know what you think.**

 **-Mc.**

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Two candles burned at the center of the table, casting a dim glow across the castle hall. Having poured the last of the tea into her cup, Hanji took a seat at the end further from the door. She savored the feel of the warm porcelain, and stared at the brown liquid within. She was stalling, trying to avoid staring at Levi for as long as possible. The man was quiet, still sipping the first cup of tea he had poured nearly an hour ago.

The castle had grown quiet as night wore on; everyone else was trying to get what sleep they could. The Corps was still licking its wounds from the battle with the Female Titan, or Annie Leonhart if the most recently proposed theory was to be believed. Tomorrow, they tried once more to capture her, this time in a crowded area with dubiously effective Military Police as last minute conscripts. Everyone was exhausted and demoralized, but duty called once more. Times were desperate, there was barely any time to properly absorb the defeat of the last expedition. Even by Survey Corps standards, it had been a fiasco from start to finish.

The Captain had performed well under the pressure of such an encounter, as expected. But the cost of such an expedition had been high, both on the Corps' fighting strength and on the minds of the survivors. Eren had been exceptionally morose and his sister had been on edge since they returned behind the walls. Most of more recent additions to the rank and file were frustrated at the failure, and even some officers were openly voicing their frustration.

Levi though, he seemed no different. Nothing about his daily routine had changed; he seldom twitched even when Hanji knew his leg injury had to be agonizing. Even the loss of his squad had done nothing to change his demeanor, as though none of them had ever existed in the first place. It was as though he had sleep walked through the entire fight, and still appeared to be dozing. Staring at him from across the table, Hanji found his expression blank and emotionless, as though he were lost in an endless, meandering dream.

For a soldier in the Survey Corps, one's emotions either ran high and burned hot, or were subdued and vanquished, seemingly frozen in another time and place. In the heat of battle every soldier was expected to keep their cool and achieve the objective. The stakes of going on the offensive against humanity's enemy were always significant; those either zealous or insane enough to join the Survey Corps knew that. Still, no amount of training ever prepared a soldier for their first taste of combat, and it was expected for a soldier to lose their cool at least once when behind the safety of the walls.

However, as regular an occurrence as these breakdowns could be for recruits and transfers, even the horrors of Titans lost their edge over time. Sometimes it was through a quick, dramatic breakdown, a pouring out of all emotion which quickly left someone forever changed. More often than not, it was a slow bleed; each experience sapped the soldier's zeal until any trace of passion or enthusiasm was gone. When those feelings were banished, the mind became focused, devoid of all distractions and any fears which might cause the soldier to falter. Some said that it was these people, entirely bereft of care for life and apathetic to their own survival, who made the best soldiers.

If this maxim were true, then Captain Levi exemplified it.

"So…how ugly do you think things are going to get tomorrow?" As much as she wanted to go to bed, Hanji couldn't leave him like this without at least trying to break through. She could sense his pain, an agony which permeated through his body. Despite his usual demeanor, she sensed something wrong with him, a disease with no symptoms slowly devouring him from the inside.

"…probably going to be a disaster." He raised the cup to his lips, but Hanji doubted even a drop reached his tongue. "Taking any bets on civilian casualties? Mike says at least three-hundred minimum, five persons for every-"

"That's not funny, Levi."

He finally put the porcelain down, the cup looking no emptier than it had been five sips ago. "Didn't say it was supposed to be, just what's going around the Corps is all."

"It's morbid."

He raised an eyebrow at her, the most alteration in his facial muscles she'd seen all night. "The Titan dissector's calling me morbid now? Be careful, one fall from a horse that high could kill you."

A growl, almost a purr rose from the bottom of Hanji's throat. "Look, it's not like tomorrow is going to be easy on anyone. Fun as it may be to finally capture this… _interesting_ specimen, I feel most everyone agrees it's probably not going to go according to plan. I think-think it's just best to put yourself in the right mindset is all."

She could feel him analyzing her, looking for subtle changes in body language, paying attention to the facial muscles. Levi was looking past her veil, sieving her thoughts for the reason she'd bothered to open her mouth at all. Though Hanji often enjoyed looking at things through a microscope, it was never enjoyable to be put under the same amount of scrutiny.

"Implying we weren't in the right mindset on the expedition?"

"Uh-well no that's not what I-just…" She went for her tea; each sip was another moment to think of something to say."It's just…going to be chaotic-a disaster, like you said."

"Well, seems like you're in the right mindset then."

The growl returned, a little stronger this time. "Erwin and I were thinking-well-I did most of it and-well, are you sure you're up for it? I can tell your leg is bothering you, protocol states that it is better to withdraw from battle than to risk fighting in less than-"

"If Erwin gave a damn about protocol we wouldn't be trying an operation like this in the first place, Hanji." His eyes narrowed, no longer to analyze, but to show frustration. "Something has me thinking that Erwin isn't involved in this…trying to keep me out of things are we? And here I thought you were too busy crushing on your little teenaged science experiment to notice me anymore…"

The growl in her voice continued to grow; mediation was increasingly difficult to come by. "My concern…is that you've been through a lot these last few days. Your leg injury and-well…everything _else_ isn't-I'm just a little worried is all. You seem awfully-eh…quiet about things. These are difficult times…it's strange to stay so silent when the whole world seems bent on spinning out of control is all." Her hands tightened around the tea cup, her mouth struggled against a sudden dryness. "I-well, I and the rest of the Corps don't want you pushing yourself beyond what even you are capable of. That's all."

His eyes lingered to a point where Hanji wasn't sure if he was staring at her, or somewhere else. Perhaps he wasn't even staring at all, his eyes may have been open, but his mind was somewhere different entirely, indifferent to where his gaze fell. "Women worry too much. Worry too much about the future, fret too much on the present, never stop lingering on the past. Your thought process betrays your persona, Hanji." She could feel an anger simmering in his voice, subdued but no less potent. "Do yourself a favor; don't talk to people who aren't there. Whoever's the Levi you think you're talking to, he isn't here. It's still just me."

He rested his head against a bent arm, staring at her with an annoyed frustration. "Granted I'm not at top performance right now, but I still have to make my cameo. And if things get hairy, I'll do what I can. That's all I ever do…just so happens that what I can do is a bit more than everyone else."

Hanji let out a long sigh, raised her cup and spoke before downing the last of its contents. "Well what can I say? It's natural for us girls to worry, especially when there' a lot to worry about. We just-I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright."

Though he remained silent, Hanji could still feel his glare as she consumed the last of the tea. His defense was strong; his mind an unassailable fortress which no amount of sympathy or condolence would easily break. Setting the cup down, she got up and made for the door. "Well then-guess I'll…going to bed. I advise you do the same…big day tomorrow…lots of trouble…a big old disaster…"

"Hanji?"

"Mmh?"

"Go to sleep."

With a frustrated grimace on her face, Hanji walked out door, leaving the captain alone. He sat motionless for a while, listening to the sounds of the woman taking her time to ascend the staircase. Gradually the noise stopped, fading away into the still of the night. The hour was getting late, he felt confident that he had to be the last one up and about. Everything became silent; the room would have seemed frozen in time if not for the minute flickering of the candles.

Levi took his time to stand up, trying to keep as much pressure off of his injured leg as possible. Leaning against the table most of the way, he walked towards the door Hanji had left through. He grabbed the nearby board used to keep it locked, and slid it into position. He walked back towards his seat. As he went to sit, his balance slipped, his injured leg suddenly bore the entire pressure of his body.

"Damnit!"

A shock of pain, among the worst he'd felt in a while, raced up from his foot and spread out across his entire nervous system. His body twitched briefly in agony, a low growl slipped past his lips as he rode out the misery. As his body recovered, he placed his head in his hands, taking long breaths to soothe his uncooperative body. The silence was a poor accompanist to his anguish, a friend which merely observed but did nothing, lingering everywhere around him but not raising a finger to comfort. He let out a long, frustrated sigh, trying to think of something to get his mind off the pain, aftershocks still furiously running up and down his leg.

Just like the last several days, the only image which came to soothe him was of a red-head with a cute smile and a calming voice. One with a cheery and optimistic demeanor which contrasted the often sullen nature of most of the Corp's members. A good soldier who could kill with skill and precision, who could destroy her enemies but bring new life to all her friends. A girl who was always optimistic about the future, was carefree in the present, and who never lingered on the past.

A girl who had been smashed against a tree, past, present and future destroyed in an instant

Anger suddenly surged forth from his core, his arm reacted quickly to expel the emotion, and knocked the tea cup off the table, slamming it into the wall and shattering the porcelain into uncountable pieces. The growl returned, but the pain in his leg was now of a secondary concern.

His mind was presented with a variety of emotions to pursue, a choice he didn't care to make. Silence and loneliness had been hard to come by the past few days; Levi had made sure of that. So long as there were people such as Hanji to question his strength, to fret over every minor detail of his mannerisms, he was impregnable, his thoughts a castle standing resolute against any and all assault. When there was nothing left to assail the walls, no enemy at the gates and no threat on the horizon, that was when the defense was weakest, its own guardians tore down the palisades and barricades which were their own defense, bringing a torch to the battlements and destroying the very castle which they had so recently sought to defend.

He knew it was foolish to dwell on death, no matter how or to whom it occurred. Life would always end in death, it defined humanity's struggle. It was an inevitable reality, a debt which the entire human race bore upon its shoulders and which was collected from different peoples at whatever time was convenient. All people at some point, regardless of skill, intellect or status, met the same fate. One could not be abhorred by such a reality and remain a soldier for long.

And yet, why couldn't Petra have remained a soldier for a little longer?

He had been prepared to lose his entire squad; he always went into battle ready to face that possibility. Maybe it would be one at a time, maybe it would be all at once, but he always readied his mind to accept it. He had never prepared for one of his own to think themselves something more of a soldier, though.

While Levi had grown accustomed to manic girls screaming his name with the amendment of "hero" plenty of times before embarking on expeditions, they were a faceless crowd, civilians he would have the pleasure to never interact with again. Being so close to Petra for so long a time made escaping the laudation far more difficult. When he saw the admiration in her eyes at the end of a successful engagement, or witnessed how hard she pushed herself to exceed any expectations, he found it hard to resist smiling. When she became insistent on breaking the silence of a nice evening with crummy jokes and stories of home, he found it hard to be too annoyed. When all was calm, when they could all feel at their most human, she affected a cheerfulness which was often contagious. A beautiful contagion which one wanted to reach out and clasp, to become sick forever if meant feeling those wonderful symptoms.

He'd never had the chance to confront her about the whole situation, always too busy and never having the right opportunity. He'd heard the rumors; Hanji had made sure of that. The letter, it only confirmed what most of the Corps already knew, a situation which was spoken of in hushed tones and behind closed doors. The military, in times such as these was no place to foolishly play with a young girl's emotions. Then again, Petra displayed her emotions for all to see. She was terrible at hiding the way she felt for others, for better and worse. Levi wished he were the same way, longing to sally out from the fortress and confront issues like these in the field. Her defenses were always down; she was perpetually ready to embark on a different path with him. And he hid behind his own walls, cautious of bringing this stranger behind the ramparts. He'd thought about the rush, of taking her in within the defenses and finally having some company within that impregnable fortress. But he'd hesitated, gotten himself ready at the gate only to watch the interloper from afar, too scared the ramparts might become infected, breakdown, and leave him vulnerable.

He knew his caution had been for the better. Had he faltered, if he'd let himself become sick, it could have compromised the entire mission. Mikasa had already screwed things up enough, her impetuousness had nearly gotten both of them killed and had left Levi with his injury, all to save her little crush. At least he was still alive, the foolish brat. She had sallied out beyond her own walls, running to the rescue of a damsel in distress without thinking of the consequences. She was sick, and the plague had nearly consumed her.

He raised his head out of his hands at last before resting his skull against his elbow, his vision focusing on the candles in front of him. It was theoretically possible that his squad, along with Eren in titan form, could have defeated this alleged Annie girl if they worked together. From Eren's testimony, his squad had fought exceptionally well; having an overgrown adolescent with some persistent anger issues on their side might have turned the tide in their favor. His lack of initial decisiveness, as well as his reckless engagement with the Female later on were both poor decisions on his part. Decisions which had cost them all dearly. While Levi usually trusted Erwin, he didn't think it wise to hinge all of their plans on the hit-or-miss abilities of some emotionally unstable kid who knew about as much about his powers as the rest of them did. He was a wild variable, an unreliable asset who'd cost Levi a precious chance to escape those carefully guarded palisades.

He began to shake his head, visceral reactions and uncomfortable thoughts which had long ago been locked away were stirring at their chains, creating an unsettling rattle. It was tempting to place blame on Eren for mucking up the entire plan. And yet, Levi had given Eren that option, knowing it was difficult. Who was more responsible, the fool who cuts himself on a sharp blade, or the man who hands the fool a blade in the first place? Difficult as Eren was to work with; his hands were ultimately clean of Petra's blood, even if Levi wanted to paint the kid red from head to toe in it. Nobody could take the blame for it, and that made such a death all the more frustrating. There was nothing to take vengeance on, no particular circumstance which could bear the burden of this travesty. Nobody to lash out at for abruptly inoculating him to that most desirable disease.

His eyes grew strained as he looked to the candle's flame, flickering gently without a care for its surroundings. His mind was back to where it had been leaving and returning to these past few nights. A begrudged acceptance that death had come once again, and there was nothing that could be done about it. His free arm reached onto the table in front of him, feeling around for a tea cup but finding it gone. He peered over to the wall, where the drink had temporarily stained the brick.

"Oh…right…Damn, that was a nice set too…"

He looked past the flame to the door through which Hanji had left. Someday, she too would likely die. They all would, eventually. They all had to face it, problem was they tended to face it when things got hairy and even more lives were on the line. Not many could properly handle it, Eren sure couldn't. Beyond the walls and now, even within them, death abounded. Too many found themselves caught out in the open, unprepared for what life threw their way.

Even in the silence which crashed down upon him with furious determination, Levi still knew he could fall back behind his own walls. Where others became lost in the offense, he would hide behind ramparts and barricades, raise the bridges and flood the moats. Tempting as it was to run to the rescue of those lost in the fields outside, to carry away the sick and contract their beautiful disease, the walls would stand firm against such an infection. He was lucky that life always seemed to conspire against him, the reaper's scythe cut down all those beyond the safety of brick and mortar before he could foolishly race out to save them. So long as he hid away, he was safe, longing to be out in peril.


	5. A New Life

**Hello Peoples,**

 **"A New Life"**

 **Rating: K**

 **Summary: Eren, his father, and Mikasa return to Shinganshina after the events at the cabin.**

 **This may be the start of a multi story arc, if I ever get around to it. It would cover the early days of Mikasa living with the Jaegers before the events of the series. This is at least how I imagine that first night.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Mc.**

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In Shinganshina, lampposts were often inadequate at their task and improperly kept. The poor quality wax used for their construction did not burn particularly well, and the night sentries assigned to keep them lit often saw no need. Few traveled at night anyways, what good would a feint light which could barely illuminate the ground do for anyone? The moon, however, was often sympathetic to Shinganshina's residents. Whenever it reached its fullest light, it would drape the city in a precious silver glow, providing solace and guidance to the occasional traveler until the morning returned.

Eren had never been awake this late before, but he felt if he persevered a little while longer, he might be able to see the sunrise. His eyes felt like drapes, eager to be closed and banishing the outside world for a while. Though while this one part of his body craved sleep, the rest of him was alert and focused, his heart hadn't fully settled down to its usual beat for the last several hours. The night was cool, not quite winter but the season was certainly on the approach. His left hand clung to the interior of his pocket, seeking warmth. His right was firmly held in his father's own, warmed by the calloused skin which surrounded it. His father's other hand clasped that of a young girl, draped in a scarf which the boy was wishing he still had, the night's wind carrying a bitter cold.

The three of them, hand in hand walked together through the streets. None of them had spoken much as of late, they had processed the day's events as much as they could in words. There was nothing more Eren wanted to talk about, though he was sure his mother would have something to say to him when they broke the news. His father had seemed quite frustrated with him earlier, Eren was still trying to process that. Sure, his life had been in danger, and his heart began to race whenever he dwelled on what he'd done, but in the end it had worked out fine. He was safe, Mikasa was safe, they were going to go home and things would go back to normal. Even better, those terrible men wouldn't hurt anyone else ever again. What happened today was sad, but at least some good had ultimately come of it.

As they rounded the final corner, Eren could see a light on past the house's shutters, the flickering of a few candles. He was surprised his mother was still up, she normally went to bed early and woke with the dawn. She worked hard to maintain a proper household, Eren's recklessness made certain of that. Despite their imminent return, Eren found his father's grip still held firm, he silently pulled back as the boy tried to run up their home.

As they walked up the stairs, a pair of receptive ears inside attuned to the sound of shoes hitting rock. As his father let go of Eren's hand to open the door, it was thrown ajar before them all as his mother leaped forward, grabbing her husband tightly.

"Grisha! There you are I was so-I was worried sick! Do you have any idea what hour it is? Did something happen? What were-" Carla's attention was diverted by the sight of a strange girl awkwardly trying to hide behind her husband. Her hair was exceptionally dark, and her eyes of an unusual shape. "Uh-Grisha-honey, who-who's this?

"Carla…" Eren rarely heard his father talk in such a tone, an exhausted fatigue which hinted at an inner defeat. "Carla...this is Mikasa. We need to talk."

"Mmh? Mi-Mikasa? Why? What happened? Is everything all-"

"We should get inside." Grisha walked forward, pulling the young girl along with him. Eren was by this point free, though he followed last behind his father. He'd expected the usual welcoming hug from his mother, though she seemed too engrossed by other things to notice him. His father let go of Mikasa's hand as Eren closed the door behind them. His mother closed the shutters while his father handed him a lit candle.

"Eren, why don't you take Mikasa up to your room? I need to speak with your mother. In private."

"But I-"

" _Now_ , Eren."

"…alright." His mother looked even more confused as the boy took Mikasa's hand and led her up the stairs. Eren realized what was coming; it was only a matter of time before his mother was leaping up those stairs, poised to yell at him for another hour or two. Maybe he'd be up to see the sunrise after all.

Mikasa followed him up the stairs without a word, doubtless even more fatigued than any of them. Eren looked back to his mother, whose hands were taken up by his father and led to the kitchen table. She began to resume her questioning as both parents passed out of sight. Her voice fell into an indistinguishable mumble as the two children entered the bedroom.

Eren quickly rushed for the window and parted the drapes, letting in as much of the moonlight as possible. He set the candle in the holder next to his bed, the gentle orange paired well with the rich silver surging into the room, combining to drive the shadow of the night away into the corners. Eren jumped onto his bed, his feet still not quite long enough to reach as the floor as they dangled over the side.

"Come on." Mikasa finally showed some relief as she approached the bed, falling forward into one of the lumps of straw protruding from the corner. "…yeah, I'm tired too. My mom is probably going to be mad about all this. She doesn't like it when I put myself in danger…" Eren found he was getting no response from the girl; she barely seemed alive if not for the slow rise and fall of her chest. He knew she couldn't hold that posture forever, her feet were tenuously holding her at an angle as she leaned into the bed.

"Hey…come on you can't sleep like that, you'll get a headache." He shifted over and tapped her head. She at last cooperated and pushed herself fully onto the mattress, her feet reaching no further down than Eren's. "I like this bed; dad got it for me when I turned eight. It's really comfortable and it's got lots of straw. He says it cost a lost, but he's a doctor so we had enough for it." His small talk was getting nowhere; all she did was rub the scarf against her face. True, it was soft, but so was the bed. She smelled it a lot too. Eren didn't think he smelled at all. Maybe his mother was right; twice a week _was_ a good minimum for bathing.

"My dad will probably make me-I mean…you can have my bed tonight if you want. I know today's been...well it was...mom says a good night's rest helps put the mind at ease." He knew there was more going on in her head than would be solved by a few hours rest, there was no certainty he'd feel much better tomorrow either. The whole debacle in the cabin felt like a blur, yet he remembered it all so well. This was neither math nor his mother trying to teach him how to sew; it was something not to be easily forgotten.

They lingered in the silence for some time, staring at the silver sphere which kept sentinel over the town. Though the air was cold, Eren kept the window open. There was a peculiar quality of nighttime air; the world's silence seemed to make every breath fresher. Air, devoid of any noise, was the purest kind of all.

"This is a nice house." Mikasa at last spoke, her compliment a mere whisper.

"Yeah. Dad says it's the nicest house on the street. Mom likes it a lot too. It's got an indoor well so we can draw water without going outside. That's really good in the winter."

"…I don't like winter."

"Neither do I. My dad doesn't either, because that's when a lot of people get sick. But my mom likes it; she says snow is really pretty."

"Yeah, but it's cold."

"She says that's the trade-off to see something pretty, that-"

A scream, lasting only a moment but sincere in its terror pierced Eren's ears, perfectly audible form the downstairs. He leaped off the bed; Mikasa withdrew further onto it, instinctively curling up. He threw open the door to hear a manic sobbing, an incomprehensible whimpering of many emotions at once rising from the downstairs.

"Mom! M-"

"It's alright Eren." His father's voice spoke back, stern and even-toned. "Stay in your room."

"But-"

"Stay upstairs Eren! You can come down later…Hey-hey Carla…" His voice rose and fell in equal speed; his demand brought a sudden weakness and cold to Eren's legs. His dad was scary when he was angry. He slowly closed the door again as he withdrew back into the bedroom, the repeated cry of "…my baby…" was all he could make out before the high pitched whimpering faded into an inaudible din. He leaned his head against the wooden frame, trying to listen but distracted by a sickness which was crawling up his stomach to the back of his mouth, watering his eyes along the way. Convinced as he felt that he had done well, there was always something unsettling about listening to his mother cry. He took his time to fight down this emotional surge. The last thing Mikasa needed right now was to see weakness.

Finally turning around, he saw the girl had pulled back onto the bed, backed up against the wall and clasping her legs together. Her face had returned to what it was when the third man arrived, frozen in shock. "Hey, it's alright. My mom, she just-well like I said she doesn't like it when I get into trouble is all. She's alright."

"Okay." She had placed her head to her knees, her voice little more than a mumble. Eren hopped onto the bed again, crawling up next to her. "It's alright. She'll be fine. We'll all be fine." He wasn't sure what else there was to say. The day was behind them, a good life lay ahead of them. What other consolation could he give? He often needed silence to think, to clear his mind so he could find the right words. But now, the silence of the late hour was devoid of inspiration, the most still point of the day offered no assistance to relieve the situation.

His mother was usually best at situations like these; she had a technique of comforting which Eren supposed could only come from years of study. Settling on mimicry as a solution, he placed an arm around the Mikasa's back. He told her that everything was going to be fine a few more times, receiving only silence in return. He didn't mind, the repetition soothed him as well.

The dull lighting and the fatigue of the day gradually took hold of them both. With no more outbursts from downstairs and with nothing left to talk about, Eren felt his brain coming to a stop. There was no reason to escape sleep's hold, to be swept away by its nurturing caress. Mikasa's body fell limp against his own. As Eren closed his eyes, the two collapsed in exhaustion, the first glimmers of sunlight reaching above the horizon soon after.


End file.
